Don, I'll surely be praying for David. It's odd but as parents we are just as concerned (if not more) when they are grown as when they were children. As they get older, they're no longer under our immediate care but their place is more secure than ever in our hearts. How far does David live from you?

My son Tim has another custody hearing tomorrow. Please pray that God's will will prevail in the courtroom. So much is at stake.

Mariane Holbrook

"For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations." Psalm 100: 5

BeachGrandma wrote:Don, I'll surely be praying for David. It's odd but as parents we are just as concerned (if not more) when they are grown as when they were children. As they get older, they're no longer under our immediate care but their place is more secure than ever in our hearts. How far does David live from you?

My son Tim has another custody hearing tomorrow. Please pray that God's will will prevail in the courtroom. So much is at stake.

Thanks, Mariane. David and his wife Diana live about 30 minutes, or 25 miles away from me in a far south suburb.

Yes, I will be praying for the Lord's Will be done in Tim's custody hearing.

Oh, another prayer request for all.My daughter, Shelley, will be having a hip replacement surgery in about ten days. She is 45 and in great condition, so she should do well. The only problem is that the surgery will be done in Des Moines, Iowa - a four hour drive from my house and I won't be there for her.

Don

John 14:6Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."

Allison wrote:In case you are wondering, I've been dong petty well. I posted an update as a separate topic, in case you didn't see it. viewtopic.php?f=4&t=36845

And hey, Don, if she has any questions, I'd be happy to answer them for her. I'm two months post-op today.

Thanks Allison. I'm pretty sure Shelley would not want to ask questions of you, but as her dad, I have a bunch of them. First of all, she was a 20-year firefighter and a 19-year police officer, but changed to firefighting equipment sales work two years ago because of her hip problem. She is 45 years old and in excellent shape. She is also very independent and tough as nails.

* Her surgery will be the anterior procedure, which I understand has a quicker recovery. Is that correct?* How long is a typical hospital stay with that procedure?* She lives alone with her dog in a townhouse. How much help will she initially need at home, and for how long?* She claims her next-door neighbors and area firefighters will be available 24/7 to give her any help needed. * She plans to buy at least two weeks of groceries and supplies so she won't need to go out shopping during that time.* How long before any driving will be allowed?* Half of her job involves travel by car to 50+ fire departments in the western half of Iowa - some located three hours away by car. I know she will try to push her physical limits to get the job done.* The other half of her job can be done by computer and phone at home.* She intends to drive to Mpls from Des Moines (a four hour drive) 6-7 weeks after her surgery. Will that be possible?

There are more questions, but those are a good start.

Side note: I know a 60 year old lady who rode lying down in the back of a van from Mpls to Florida only ten days after her double knee replacement surgery - a three day trip. She and her husband had a winter home there, and a knee replacement surgery wasn't going to stop them from going there that winter.

Don

John 14:6Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."

Let me say up front that a lot of this is based on the doctor/hospital procedures.

* Her surgery will be the anterior procedure, which I understand has a quicker recovery. Is that correct?This is what I had, and I have heard that is quicker, but I have nothing to compar it by, personally.

* How long is a typical hospital stay with that procedure?2 to 3 nights, but I got out after 1 night.

* She lives alone with her dog in a townhouse. How much help will she initially need at home, and for how long?It really depends. She'll need quite a bit of help the first week or so. I had to wear these annoying pumps for 10 days, but that's not standard procedure. That was my main issue.

* She claims her next-door neighbors and area firefighters will be available 24/7 to give her any help needed.It would be best to have someone in the house for those first few days, in my opinion. However, if the neighbors can get there quickly at any time of day/night, that might be sufficient. I would NOT have been comfortable alone for the first week.

* She plans to buy at least two weeks of groceries and supplies so she won't need to go out shopping during that time.That should be pretty good. I was "homebound" for the first month, with PT coming to my house, and if I wasn't "homebound" then I didn't need the home PT. Again, I don't think that's standard procedure, but I would definitely get at LEAST two weeks worth.

* How long before any driving will be allowed?Typically 6 to 8 weeks. Mine was 8 weeks... Just got the go-ahead to drive on Tuesday. (oh, the FREEDOM I feel now! )

* Half of her job involves travel by car to 50+ fire departments in the western half of Iowa - some located three hours away by car. I know she will try to push her physical limits to get the job done.That's going to be a bit hard for awhile, and I wouldn't push it. I have a former high school teacher who I'm still friends with who pushed himself and he was in bed for 2 weeks because of it.

* The other half of her job can be done by computer and phone at home.I didn't feel like myself mentally for the first week or so, but that shouldn't be much of a problem.

* She intends to drive to Mpls from Des Moines (a four hour drive) 6-7 weeks after her surgery. Will that be possible?It depends when she gets the okay to drive, and how comfortable she feels, but fur hours might be a bit long.

Almost all of these are going to depend on her doctor and her individually and how she recovers. Sorry I couldn't be of more help.

I should mention that sleep may be another issue. If she normally sleeps on the operative side, she won't be able to do that for awhile, and when she DOES, it's going to feel like there's a bump under her hip/side. She'll have to keep her legs apart with a pillow, no matter what position she sleeps in.

A woman was at work when she received a telephone call that her young daughter was very sick with a fever. She left work and stopped at a pharmacy to get some medication. When she got back to her car, she discovered that she had locked her keys in the car. She didn't know what to do.

She called home and told the babysitter what had happened. The babysitter suggested that she might be able to open the door with a coat hanger. Looking around, the woman spotted an old rusty hanger lying on the ground. She looked at the hanger and thought to herself, "I haven’t a clue how to use this."

She bowed her head and asked the Lord to send someone to help her. Within five minutes a beat-up old motorcycle pulled up, ridden by a bearded man wearing an old biker skull rag on his head. The woman thought to herself, "This is what God sent to help me?" But she was desperate for help.

The man got off his cycle and asked if he could help. She said, "Yes, my daughter is very sick. I stopped to get her some medication, and I’ve locked my keys in my car. I must get home to her. Please, can you use this hanger to unlock my car?" "Sure," he said, and in less than a minute the door was open.

She hugged the man and said through her tears, "Oh, thank you so much! You’re such a nice man." The man replied, "Lady, I’m not a nice man. I just got out of prison yesterday, after doing time for car theft.”

The woman hugged the man again and through her tears said, "Oh, thank you, God! You even sent me a professional!"

Allison wrote:Let me say up front that a lot of this is based on the doctor/hospital procedures.

* Her surgery will be the anterior procedure, which I understand has a quicker recovery. Is that correct?This is what I had, and I have heard that is quicker, but I have nothing to compar it by, personally.

* How long is a typical hospital stay with that procedure?2 to 3 nights, but I got out after 1 night.

* She lives alone with her dog in a townhouse. How much help will she initially need at home, and for how long?It really depends. She'll need quite a bit of help the first week or so. I had to wear these annoying pumps for 10 days, but that's not standard procedure. That was my main issue.

* She claims her next-door neighbors and area firefighters will be available 24/7 to give her any help needed.It would be best to have someone in the house for those first few days, in my opinion. However, if the neighbors can get there quickly at any time of day/night, that might be sufficient. I would NOT have been comfortable alone for the first week.

* She plans to buy at least two weeks of groceries and supplies so she won't need to go out shopping during that time.That should be pretty good. I was "homebound" for the first month, with PT coming to my house, and if I wasn't "homebound" then I didn't need the home PT. Again, I don't think that's standard procedure, but I would definitely get at LEAST two weeks worth.

* How long before any driving will be allowed?Typically 6 to 8 weeks. Mine was 8 weeks... Just got the go-ahead to drive on Tuesday. (oh, the FREEDOM I feel now! )

* Half of her job involves travel by car to 50+ fire departments in the western half of Iowa - some located three hours away by car. I know she will try to push her physical limits to get the job done.That's going to be a bit hard for awhile, and I wouldn't push it. I have a former high school teacher who I'm still friends with who pushed himself and he was in bed for 2 weeks because of it.

* The other half of her job can be done by computer and phone at home.I didn't feel like myself mentally for the first week or so, but that shouldn't be much of a problem.

* She intends to drive to Mpls from Des Moines (a four hour drive) 6-7 weeks after her surgery. Will that be possible?It depends when she gets the okay to drive, and how comfortable she feels, but fur hours might be a bit long.

Almost all of these are going to depend on her doctor and her individually and how she recovers. Sorry I couldn't be of more help.

I should mention that sleep may be another issue. If she normally sleeps on the operative side, she won't be able to do that for awhile, and when she DOES, it's going to feel like there's a bump under her hip/side. She'll have to keep her legs apart with a pillow, no matter what position she sleeps in.

Thanks, Allison, for your quick response to my questions. I will share the answers with my daughter.

If I may ask, what was the purpose for the annoying pumps? A compliction from surgery?

Don

John 14:6Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."

Allison wrote:Let me say up front that a lot of this is based on the doctor/hospital procedures.

* Her surgery will be the anterior procedure, which I understand has a quicker recovery. Is that correct?This is what I had, and I have heard that is quicker, but I have nothing to compar it by, personally.

* How long is a typical hospital stay with that procedure?2 to 3 nights, but I got out after 1 night.

* She lives alone with her dog in a townhouse. How much help will she initially need at home, and for how long?It really depends. She'll need quite a bit of help the first week or so. I had to wear these annoying pumps for 10 days, but that's not standard procedure. That was my main issue.

* She claims her next-door neighbors and area firefighters will be available 24/7 to give her any help needed.It would be best to have someone in the house for those first few days, in my opinion. However, if the neighbors can get there quickly at any time of day/night, that might be sufficient. I would NOT have been comfortable alone for the first week.

* She plans to buy at least two weeks of groceries and supplies so she won't need to go out shopping during that time.That should be pretty good. I was "homebound" for the first month, with PT coming to my house, and if I wasn't "homebound" then I didn't need the home PT. Again, I don't think that's standard procedure, but I would definitely get at LEAST two weeks worth.

* How long before any driving will be allowed?Typically 6 to 8 weeks. Mine was 8 weeks... Just got the go-ahead to drive on Tuesday. (oh, the FREEDOM I feel now! )

* Half of her job involves travel by car to 50+ fire departments in the western half of Iowa - some located three hours away by car. I know she will try to push her physical limits to get the job done.That's going to be a bit hard for awhile, and I wouldn't push it. I have a former high school teacher who I'm still friends with who pushed himself and he was in bed for 2 weeks because of it.

* The other half of her job can be done by computer and phone at home.I didn't feel like myself mentally for the first week or so, but that shouldn't be much of a problem.

* She intends to drive to Mpls from Des Moines (a four hour drive) 6-7 weeks after her surgery. Will that be possible?It depends when she gets the okay to drive, and how comfortable she feels, but fur hours might be a bit long.

Almost all of these are going to depend on her doctor and her individually and how she recovers. Sorry I couldn't be of more help.

I should mention that sleep may be another issue. If she normally sleeps on the operative side, she won't be able to do that for awhile, and when she DOES, it's going to feel like there's a bump under her hip/side. She'll have to keep her legs apart with a pillow, no matter what position she sleeps in.

Thanks, Allison, for your quick response to my questions. I will share the answers with my daughter.

If I may ask, what was the purpose for the annoying pumps? A compliction from surgery?

Don

No, the pumps were these things on my legs that squeezed them every few seconds, to prevent blood clots. It is standard procedure at the hospital where I had my surgery, but it's not generally standard procedure, in talking to others.

Also, tell her to get a "hip kit," if she hasn't already. I got mine from my hospital, but I'm not sure if they all have them. It should have a long handled sponge, a "grabber", a long handled shoe-horn, and a sock aid, at a very minimum. She'll also need a raised toilet seat. Those she'll need for the first 12 weeks. I actually ended up buying a long handled "shower poof" on my own, but wrapped a towel around the sponge to dry off. If she can get one that also has "elastic shoelaces," those have been AMAZING! It turns tennis shoes into slip on shoes.

BeachGrandma wrote:Allison, what is the name brand of your Elastic shoelaces? And where do you buy them?

I wish I knew the brand name, but I threw the packaging away. I got them as part of my "hip kit" which I bought from the hospital/doctor's office. It was $50 for everything except the raised toilet seat.

This one I found on-line when I searched for "hip kits" look like EXACTLY what I have, save the color of the item, but it includes a couple of nice mesh bags.

Allison, I brought up that site but didn't know where to look for the shoelace thingy. Do you have what looks like regular shoe laces except they're elastic or is there something else that comes with them?

Mariane Holbrook

"For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations." Psalm 100: 5

BeachGrandma wrote:Allison, I brought up that site but didn't know where to look for the shoelace thingy. Do you have what looks like regular shoe laces except they're elastic or is there something else that comes with them?

Would you let my friends on the porch know that I have not skipped the country? My computer has been with the Geek Squad since Wednesday with a virus. I didn't catch it, but I'm definitely inconvenienced. I can read the porch notes, but my husband's laptop doesn't seem to be recognized to sign on--same passwords--so hopefully, I'll get mine back soon!

Tell Don that the "young-uns" seem to do better than the senior crowd with hip replacements. Our son (age 53) had one last fall and was back at work in a couple of weeks. He is a manufacturer's rep for a drycleaner supply and has to drive. He was absolutely determined he was going to get well soon, and he did. Attitude must count for something! He had the anterior replacement. He is still doing well, thank the Lord.

Monday our granddaughter with our great granddaughter is going to spend the morning with us while her husband has work to do in our town. I can't wait!

Love,Verna

Mariane Holbrook

"For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations." Psalm 100: 5

Winter is beginning to lose its strangle-hold on the thick ice that has covered our lake for the past four or five months. A narrow ribbon of open water is now visible along portions of the shoreline - including the area butting up to our back yard. That is a welcome sight to the migrating ducks that will eventually nest nearby.

Some have already arrived here after their winter vacations in warm, southern waters. I can always tell that is where they came from, because the tags on their carry-along bags reveal the Gulf region as the place of their flight origination.

This morning I observed 12-15 wood ducks gathered in the water near the spot where I install their nesting house each spring. Their house can not be placed in the water yet because it would be destroyed by massive ice floes on ice-out day.

Today, the ducks were milling around as if confused, and were yakking to each other. Then, I noticed they were checking their GPS devices for accuracy.

"This must be the right place, but where is the house? My GPS must be wrong."

"Hey, mine also tells me this is the spot, but something just isn't right. I know! The house where we were born is not here! That is just awful!"

"So, what will we do now? I say we take our GPS units to the shop and get them checked out."

Apparently after agreeing with that strategy, the whole bunch of wood ducks took to the air and left. I hope they will be back soon.

Don

John 14:6Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."